The Carlton Super 7s International Rugby tournament’s International segment is to be played off on the 8th, 9th of August in Koggala with the second and final leg to be played off on the 15th and 16th of August 2014 in Colombo.
Dialog championing the cause of the country’s sport come forward yet again as eZ Cash are the sponsors of this event.
The tournament which has put the tiny tropical island nation in the world stage in terms of rugby has reached the tail point in this year’s edition with the local segment concluding with much success. The final and most exciting segments however is yet to come and one can only expect the best rugby to be put on show as the home bred stars play alongside Rugby giants from countries like New Zealand, South Africa, Tonga, Kenya and Fiji.
In last years’ tournament the Jaffna Challengers skipped by Sajith Saranga which consisted of Kenyan National 7s stars walked away with the overall champions award in the International segment beating Fazil Marija’s Sabaragamuwa Stallions in an enticing finale at the Colombo Racecourse International rugby stadium. Last year’s edition too attracted crowds in numbers who got what they expected from the stars playing in this fast and furious form of the game which has gained rapid popularity through the past few years with a lot of investment being made towards the sport with a view to uplifting the standards of Rugby in Sri Lanka.
Identical to last year, this year’s tournament too will host the All blacks 7s skipper DJ Forbes as well as big guns such as Tim Mikkelson and Sethafano Kakao only adding glamour and standards to the tournament. This international format will allows 5 foreign players in the team while at any given time only 3 will be allowed on the field ensuring that this International tournament does not diverge from the concept and promises to give pure intense rugby played at the highest international quality.
Another initiative taken to improve the sport in the country is the addition of the Schools segment in the Tournament. This year the Schools segment will be worked off in Galle and Colombo with top teams such as the division one league champions Isipathana College and, Trinity College Kandy, Kingswood College, Royal College, Wesley College, St. Josephs College, C W W Kannagara Vidyalaya and Science College battling for the title. This provides ample opportunity for the youngster to step up and show their capabilities. Giving these young and promising athletes the exposure at an early age will definitely help them and will go a long way in terms of Rugby in Sri Lanka nurturing the future to ensure that Sri Lanka’s Rugby goes from strength to strength.
The dates and logistics are set and ready for 4 days of the best 7s rugby in the country, an fans can look forward to a superlative quality of rugby in front of their very eyes. Be there to watch and compare our home grown elements go head to head with the international players holding their own most times.
Live coverage through both days live on www.thepapare.com – Rugby’s watchdog
Squads
| Eastern Eagles | Southern Sharks | N C Typhoons | Jaffna Challengers | Western Warriors |
| Thusitha Samarathilake (Capt) | Srinath Suriyabandara (Capt) | Dinusha Ariyapala (Capt) | Saliya Kumara (Capt.) | Yoshitha Rajapaksa (Capt.) |
| Chamara Dabare | Dinusha Chathuranga | Ashan Maduranga | Rehan Weerakoon | Bilal Hassan |
| Lahiru Shanaka Gurusinghe | Suhiru Anthony | Suranga Arunashantha | Prasad Chathuranga | Lee Keegal |
| Gayantha Iddamalgoda | Chanaka Chandimal | Jerard Canute | Darshana Etipola | Joseph Dunn Naeqe |
| Arshad Jamaldeen | Danush Dayan | Mohammed Rizmeer Jabbar | Heshan Gunaratne (Gunty) | Danushka Perera |
| Shashika Jayawardane | Shenal Dias | Shanaka Kumara | Saliya Handapangoda | Suranga Pushpakumara |
| Banuka Nanayakkara | Anuradha Herath | Samantha Lakshan | Dulip Methruwan | Kanchana Ramanayake |
| Dulaj Perera | Vishwa Mithra Jayasinghe | Dushantha Lewke | Mekalanka Pramodha | Kanil Senaviratne |
| Mohamed Sheriff | Oshan Perera | Hirantha Perera | Asitha Rathnayake | Emori Waqavulagi |
| Rehan Theyagarajah | Charith Seneviratne | Asith Wijesinghe | Sajith Saranga | Raditha Warnapura |
| Hale T Pole (Tonga) | Samuela Saqiwa (Fiji) | Joshua Patrick Moon (SA) | Kaloucavu Isireli (Fiji) | Setefano Cakaunivalu (Fiji) |
| Jone Tuitogo (Fiji) | Pio Tuwai (Fiji) | Mark Richards (SA) | Glen Lewis Rolls (New Zealand) | Joeli Lutumailagi (Fiji) |
| Episalome Waqatabu (Fiji) | Vatemo Ravouvou (Australia) | Adriaan Ruhan Nel (SA) | Martine Goenaga Ignacio Amadeo (Spain) | Jone Avokia Vota (Fiji) |
| Viliame Mata (Fiji) | Semi Kunatani (Fiji) | Steven Mark Hunt (SA) | David William Batiratu(Fiji) | Waisea Naurgu (Fiji) |
| Emosi Vucago (Fiji) | Sainivalti Ramuwai (Fiji) | Sandile Celeb Ngcobo (SA) | Kubu Jone Tavaga (Fiji) | Apasi Naqalevu (Fiji) |
| Lolo Lio (Samoa) | Osea Kolinaou (Fiji) | Shaun Adendorff (SA) | Mataivilia Alapate (Fiji) | Lote Rakabula (New Zealand)) |
| Reupena Levasa (Samoa) | ||||
| Manager | ||||
| Rajieew Perera | Mahesh Kumara | Thanrindu Rupasinghe | Anuradha Fonseka | S. W. Chang |
| Northern Gladiators | N W Blacks | Central Kings | Uva Vipers | Sabaragamuwa Stallions |
| Fazil Marija (Capt.) | Niranjan Wickkramarathna (Capt) | Rohitha Rajapaksa (Capt.) | Shehan Pathirana (Capt) | Dilip Selvam (Capt) |
| Sudharshana Muthuthanthri | Mohammed Abzal | Nigel Ratwatte | Ashen de Costa | Rajitha Abeykoon |
| Imanka Ariyapala | Amjad Bucksh | Sasanka Ariyarathne Pittu) | Randika Alwis | Andrew Bradley Benson |
| Lasintha de Costa | Mushin Faleel | Rahul de Silva | Tuan Ijaz Bohoran | Prasad Devinda |
| Mithun Hapugoda | Kosala Tissera | Rechard Dharmapala | Tharindu Chanaka | Richie Dharmapala |
| Pradeep Liyanage | Pium Prabath Jayasinghe | Thisila Karunathilaka | Samith Dananjaya | Dinesh Kumara |
| Riza Mubarak | Pubudu Kodagoda | Lavanga Perera | Kavindu Anjana de Costa | Nalin Kumara |
| Dhanushka Ranjan | Chamara Kumara | Chula Susantha | Niroshan Fernando | Gayan Udara Liyanage |
| Damion Ratwatte | Kawindu Perera | Buwaneka Udangamuwa | Sanduna Herath | Mohamed Sashan |
| Roshan Weeraratne | Lahiru Mudalige | Anurudda Willwara | Gayan Weeraratne | Indika Udayakumara |
| Sevuloni Mocenacagi (Fiji) | Anthony Matoto (Tonga) | Naikasau Leo (Fiji) | D. J. Forbes (New Zealand) | Tulo Tulo (Samoa) |
| Niko Verekauta (Fiji) | Mathew Garland (Australia) | Naikasau Leo (Fiji) | George Tilsley (New Zealand) | Alatasi Tupou (Samoa) |
| Mosese Mawalu (Fiji) | Ritchie ah Chong Samoa) | Mulevoro Emosi (Fiji) | Tomasi Cama (New Zealand) | Meki Magalele (Samoa) |
| Niua Folau (USA) | Andrew Muirhead (Austalia) | Waqa Sitiveni (Fiji) | Tim Mikkelson (New Zealand) | Talaga Alafipo (Samoa) |
| Jasa Veremalua (Fiji) | Jordan Tuapou (New Zealand) | Turner Mathew Drew (S A) | Gillies Kaka (New Zealand | Fale Sooialo (Samoa) |
| David Halaifonua (Tonga) | Adendorff Shaun | Fautua Otto (Samoa) | ||
| Manager | ||||
| Thushan De Alwis | Pradeep Kaluarachchi | Felix Wijesinghe | Rohan Chinthaka | Waruna de Silva |
